A 31-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of murder after a three-year-old girl was found dead in a flat in Surrey. The man was treated for a serious injury after being detained at the address on Pyrcroft Road, Chertsey, at about 5.40pm on Thursday, June 25. He is now in custody, and detectives are not looking for anyone else in connection with the incident.
An investigation has been launched, led by Surrey Police’s Major Crime Team. The force believes that the incident took place “within a family setting.”
The senior investigating officer said in a statement: “This is a tragic incident, and our officers are working hard to build a picture of what happened.”
They added: “We have made an arrest in connection with this incident, and at this stage, we are not looking to identify anyone else in connection with our investigation. We have no reason to believe there is any risk to the public.”
Locals have described their shock at the incident, with some leaving flowers and messages outside the apartment block.
One resident, who saw the suspect being taken away, told The Sun: “It happened on the ground floor. I saw them take him away. He was wearing an oxygen mask and had bandages on his abdomen. He seemed calm as they were putting him into the back of a police car.”
They described the place as full of young professionals and the flats being very plush.
Meanwhile, another said that everyone in the area is in shock, and that they “feel so sorry for the little girl”.
Another witness that they came outside at around 6pm and there were police cars and ambulances “everywhere”. They had taped off the area.
They described the scene as unusual for the area, and said they also saw an air ambulance.
Locals said that there are a lot of families in the block of flats, so the incident comes as a shock. Bouquets of flowers and signs reading ‘RIP Beautiful Girl’ were placed at the building.